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Government Consults on PTSD

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Government Consults on PTSD Empty Government Consults on PTSD

Post by Falcon Wed 10 Apr 2019, 5:53 pm

Government of Canada Consults on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder


From: Public Health Agency of Canada


News release



Stakeholders from across the country meet to inform the development of a federal framework on PTSD

April 10, 2019 - Ottawa, ON - Public Health Agency of Canada

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has a profound impact on individuals, workplaces, communities and families affected by it. Many people are at increased risk of PTSD because of the nature of their jobs, but anyone can be affected through exposure to traumatic events.

As part of efforts to address PTSD, the Government of Canada brought together stakeholders and partners from across the country, including some who have been personally affected by PTSD, to help inform the development of a federal framework on PTSD.

The two-day conference was convened by the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health, in collaboration with the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, and the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs.

The conference provided an opportunity to share knowledge, experiences and perspectives to help ensure that the federal framework on PTSD will support the needs of those who are most affected. Participants engaged in discussions on sharing best practices, increasing awareness, improving data to address knowledge gaps, and engaging in research to better support those with PTSD.

During the conference, Lieutenant-General (ret.) the Honourable Roméo A. Dallaire also shared his experience with a severe operational stress injury sustained during his work leading the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide. His remarks were a reminder of the continued need to raise awareness and reduce the stigma around physical, psychological and moral injuries.

Mr. Stéphane Lauzon, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, also took the opportunity to launch the updated PTSD Coach Canada application, designed to help Veterans and their families learn about and manage symptoms after trauma. The new version of the app includes an improved self-assessment tool, increased professional health care information and updated information on PTSD based on the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The app is a convenient tool for Veterans and their families to access information about PTSD in an interactive way.

The National Conference on PTSD fulfills a key component of the Federal Framework on Post‑Traumatic Stress Disorder Act.

Quotes
“PTSD is an important health issue, and one that the Government of Canada is committed to addressing. The knowledge and insights gained through our discussions at the National Conference on PTSD provide a foundation for the development of a federal framework that best supports the needs of those most affected. I have no doubt that our collective efforts will have an impact on the lives of people living with PTSD.”

The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor
Minister of Health

“The challenges of addressing PTSD are far-reaching, and it’s clear that we need input from multiple sectors to build a framework that best serves Canadians. While the unique needs of public safety personnel are reflected in Supporting Canada’s Public Safety Personnel: An Action Plan on Post‑Traumatic Stress Injuries, it’s important that this community continue to be part of the conversation guiding the development of the federal framework. Lessons learned in the implementation of the Action Plan will be crucial in informing the whole-of-society approach to this important public health issue.”

The Honourable Ralph Goodale
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

“Military service places unique demands on the women and men of our Canadian Armed Forces, and their health and well-being is our top priority. This conference provides an opportunity for continued collaboration and discussion between experts in the field of PTSD research and treatment. Together, we will advance our understanding of these illnesses, and identify ways to improve our prevention, education and care strategies.”

The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan
Minister of National Defence

“Collaborating to advance our knowledge of PTSD and how we can lessen its effects is extremely important in the field of mental health. It is important for Canada’s Veterans because their service to our country can increase their risk of developing PTSD, but it’s also important for all Canadians. I am proud of the work the Government of Canada has done in making mental health a priority by committing to the development of a framework on PTSD that will ensure that the most current information is available for Canadians.”

The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay
Minister of Veterans Affairs





Falcon
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Post by Wolfman Mon 22 Apr 2019, 6:18 pm

More than 6,700 Canadian veterans from Afghan war receiving federal assistance for PTSD



The figures underscore the enduring toll the war has taken on the mental health of many military members who served there



The Canadian Press
Lee Berthiaume
April 22, 2019



Government Consults on PTSD Cpt109-the-associated-press




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Post by Wolfman Mon 22 Apr 2019, 6:20 pm

Artificial intelligence used to diagnose PTSD by analyzing veterans' voices



Government Consults on PTSD Image


Nicole Bogart, CTVNews.ca
Published Monday, April 22, 2019


Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in war veterans by analyzing the rhythm and tone of their voices.

The study, published Monday, found that the AI tool can distinguish between the voices of those with or without PTSD with 89 per cent accuracy.

Researchers gathered speech samples from 53 U.S. Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with military-service-related PTSD, as well as those of 78 veterans without the mental health condition.

Speech samples were then analyzed by voice software from SRI International, the same company that developed Apple’s Siri voice assistant, which returned 40,526 speech segments for analysis.

"The software analyzes words—in combination with frequency, rhythm, tone, and articulatory characteristics of speech—to infer the state of the speaker, including emotion, sentiment, cognition, health, mental health and communication quality,” Dimitra Vergyri, director of SRI International's Speech Technology and Research (STAR) Laboratory, explained in a press release.

Veterans with PTSD exhibited specific voice features including unclear speech and a “lifeless, metallic tone.”

Although the study did not explore the science behind PTSD and speech patterns, the authors note that there are theories that traumatic events change brain circuits that process emotion and muscle tone, affecting a person’s speech.

The team plans to train the AI tool with more data in order to apply for U.S. government approval to use the tool clinically.

"Speech is an attractive candidate for use in an automated diagnostic system, perhaps as part of a future PTSD smartphone app, because it can be measured cheaply, remotely, and non-intrusively," lead author Adam Brown, adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine wrote in a statement.

But U.S. researchers aren’t the only people trying to find better ways to diagnose PTSD.

The issue is also being tackled by Canadian researchers as concerns over the condition’s effect on military members and first responders grow.

In January, researchers with Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University combined brain imaging and machine learning to diagnose PTSD with 92 per cent accuracy.

Veterans Affairs Canada estimates that up to 10 per cent of war zone veterans—including peacekeeping forces—will develop PTSD.

However, figures released Monday reveal that the number of Afghanistan war veterans receiving federal support for mental-health conditions nearly doubled between over the last four years.

The figures, obtained from Veterans Affairs Canada by the Canadian Press through access to information requests, show more than 6,700 military members who served in Afghanistan were receiving disability benefits for mental-health conditions in March 2018, the vast majority of which were struggling with PTSD.





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Post by Saulman Fri 26 Apr 2019, 8:37 am

April 26: PTSD also affects veterans’ families

Times Colonist
APRIL 26, 2019

Re: “Afghan-related military suicide spike might be receding,” April 17.

After a long list of studies by the medical branch of the Canadian Forces, officials have come to the conclusion that service members and veterans remain at high risk to take their own lives.

Other reports concluded that the numbers are in decline.

Yet a report signed by Surgeon General Brig.-Gen. Andrew Downes suggests that full-time male soldiers remain at “significantly increased risk.”

Many costly studies were done between 1976 and 2012 to come to the “not surprising” conclusion that the risk of suicide among male veterans remains 36 per cent higher than in men who never served in the Canadian military.

Respect is due to the efforts being made through the Department of Veterans Affairs to assist the service members. And to the veterans who completed their careers or retired earlier because of the tremendous pressure and stress of multiple deployments in war-stricken countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, etc.

It comes to mind, however, that behind most of the service members suffering with PTSD, there is a spouse or significant other, even children, who are suffering, as well.

I suggest that a “short” study should be done on how these partners and children could be helped, financially or otherwise, with the furtherance of their lives.

Cornelis Schenk

Victoria





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Post by Rifleman Fri 26 Apr 2019, 9:50 am

Finally something I agree with I know my wife has been through hell and back but she still has my six and continues to support me which is by no means easy !!!

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Post by iceman Fri 26 Apr 2019, 4:30 pm

Rifleman wrote:Finally something I agree with I know my wife has been through hell and back but she still has my six and continues to support me which is by no means easy !!!
I agree 100%
they have our 6 and should be recognized for it.
mine is the only thing that keeps me semi-stable. without her, who knows which statistic i would fall into

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